NXT Superstar Bo Dallas Earns Royal Rumble Spot

By Dave Barrie /

WWE appears to be providing NXT with more attention as of late, finally acknowledging the brand as the company's developmental territory. At yesterday's WWE Royal Rumble Fan Fest in Phoenix, Arizona NXT Superstar Bo Dallas earned a place in tonight's 30-man Royal Rumble match. The third generation wrestler participated in three matches during the event, defeating fellow NXT prospects Luke Harper, Conor O'Brian and Leo Kruger. Dallas is the grandson of Blackjack Mulligan, son of Mike 'Irwin R. Schyster' Rotunda and nephew of Barry and Kendall Windham. Speaking to WWE reporters, Dallas said €œI€™m always the underdog, I never let that get me down. I take the punches, but if there€™s one thing I believe, it€™s €˜always get up.€™ And that€™s how I live life.€ Over the years, the Royal Rumble match has been won by established Superstars from WWE's main roster, whether main event veterans such as Triple H or The Undertaker; or rapidly rising stars like Rey Mysterio and Alberto Del Rio. Never has the coveted competition been won by a relative unknown. The Royal Rumble match is a massive opportunity for any Superstar involved but for Bo Dallas, this is a rare opportunity to make his mark on WWE. It's only natural that fans will expect an established star such as John Cena, Randy Orton or Sheamus to win the match. It may even be a chance for a rising star like Dolph Ziggler to finally step it up to the next level. However, if Dallas is given a decent run in the Rumble match, possibly eliminating one of the more dominant members of the main roster and ultimately making an impact, this will be an excellent first impression to make on his WWE debut. Dallas joins the likes of Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and Big E Langston as another young hopeful from WWE's developmental camp tonight. In a period were ratings are low and WWE is regularly criticised for its content, the showcase of these young talents is a great thing to witness; the introduction of new stars might be just what WWE needs to freshen up the product. You can read more about Dallas here.